Betty Wriston knew something was wrong when her husband spiked a fever a few months after his surgery.

Before, Thomas Wriston,78, had been healthy and strong. He was always busy working on projects, such as rebuilding the engine of an old Jeep, Betty recalls.

But then, he fell in March 2017 and fractured his femur and hip, requiring surgery at Porter Adventist Hospital. After the procedure, he developed a cough and fever, and then, an infection.

Now, Betty Wriston is among those suing Porter, claiming the hospital’s failure to properly sterilize equipment resulted in patients developing infections that some are still treating years after their surgeries — and that, in the case of Thomas Wriston, led to his death.

“What’s really sad is there’s just been so many people hurt by this,” Wriston,78, said. “I’m not the only one.”

Thomas Wriston died in June 2017 after developing sepsis, respiratory failure, pneumonia, anemia, and subacute kidney injury, according to the lawsuit.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post

Betty Wriston’s favorite photo of her husband Tom and their dog Heidi is displayed in her home in Fairplay, Colorado on June 12, 2019.

One patient, Bill Suarez, has had seven knee surgeries so far because of the severity of the infection and necrotic tissue that developed after his surgery at Porter in 2017, according to the lawsuit.

He ended up with seven types of bacteria in his knee after the procedure — including a type normally found in a pregnant woman’s vagina or rectum, according to the lawsuit.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post

Bill Suarez, 71, of Vail is one of 67 patients filing suit against Porter Adventist Hospital. This photo shows tape over his knee while talking about his injuries during an interview.

Suarez says the persisting problems with his knee have affected his sleep and he hasn’t been able to do things he enjoys, such as hiking, skiing and surfing.

“I’m a little bit more recluse,” he said. “I’m a little bit more withdrawn, but I’m not dying of cancer.”

The prospect of another surgery worries Suarez, waking him up some nights.

“I’m scared to death that this could go wrong,” he said.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post

Bill Suarez, 71, of Vail, during an interview on May 31 in Denver.

Another patient, Rebecca Brown, said she’s lost the trust she had in hospitals after developing sepsis, a life-threatening infection, and clostridium difficile (or C.diff) following her surgery at Porter in 2017.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post

Rebecca Brown shows some of the scars from her operations as her husband Russell looks on during an interview in Denver on May 20.

Now, she says she waits as long as she can before seeking medical care at a hospital.

“I have severe PTSD with surgeries,” Brown said. “I don’t even like getting my blood drawn anymore. I have no trust in any of the hospitals that are anywhere near us.”

“And no amount of therapy can ever get that trust back,” she added.

Joe Amon, The Denver Post

Mackenzie, 7, rests with her mother Rebecca Brown after Rebecca made a trip to the emergency room in Castle Rock on June 7. Rebecca is one of 67 patients filing suit against Porter Adventist in Denver.

Jessica Seaman covers health for The Denver Post. A native of North Carolina, Jessica joined The Post after stints as a reporter in Greensboro, North Carolina and Little Rock, Arkansas. She is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill.

The Service Employees International Union Local 105, which represents over 3,500 Kaiser workers in Colorado, announced Wednesday that 96% of its voting members supported authorizing a nationwide strike over unfair labor practices.